LTTE agreed to administrative arrangement with less powers than even a PS - President

IT is still a question as to why the LTTE that asked for a separate state agreed to an administrative arrangement with less powers than even a Pradeshiya Sabha and with such a small area, said President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga addressing the meeting of the Maha Sangha held at the BMICH last Friday, June 17.

I am grateful to the organisers of this meeting for giving me the opportunity to meet you the Maha Sangha who have come to Colombo from the distant districts, the President said.

As this meeting was due to be held as a Sangha Sabha, I was not due to be present. Therefore I wish to crave your indulgence for coming here direct from office.

The organisers informed me that many of you were of the view that I should come. That's why I had to come unexpectedly and unannounced.

Maha Sangha want to know

I came to know from our Ministers that many members of Maha Sangha assembled here inquired about the setting up of Tsunami Relief Council.

I know the questions many of you ask. You ask these questions with good intentions. But the media in this country who claim to be impartial confuse this issue. They deliberately give misinformation to the public. Therefore I'll tell you something about it."

The President said, "To be very true it is still an enigma to me as to why there has been such a confusion about this. We have stated facts very clearly. The Government has been doing development work in the LTTE controlled areas in the North East with our officers working in an administrative capacity in those areas for the last 6 years. If not, nothing could have been done."

She said, "Our Ministers went there when there were demonstrations and Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had a narrow escape."

The President said, "We had to hold unofficial talks with the LTTE when doing such development work for the last six years. What we now intend to do is only to give it a little higher status. The Tsunami Relief Council will operate only in a strip of land affected by the tsunami two kilometeres from the sea in 6 districts."

She said, "In those districts and in the districts of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara the Tsunami Relief Council will not be operative in any other area except in the strip two kilometres from the sea."

Only for one year

The President said, the Tsunami Relief Council will be operative for only one year. There will be three parties to it, the Government, the Muslims living in those areas and the LTTE.

She said, "if any one of these parties is of the view that this does not operate well it can be terminated. It will not be implemented by an Act or Regulation in Parliament. Actually we did not like to take this to Parliament. It is a mere administrative document to be signed by a Ministry Secretary."

The President said, "but because there arose a great deal of confusion and some members of the Maha Sangha wanted this to be taken to Parliament, and as the four Mahanayake Theras suggested to me to take this to Parliament to allay whatever fears there are.

That is why we will take it to Parliament but not as an Act. Actually it is disadvantageous for us to take it to Parliament. It will only be a resolution in Parliament. Voting is possible if necessary."

She said, what are the main tasks of this Tsunami Relief Council? We have to decide here whether it is dangerous or not.

As I see it there are only two tasks and powers. First is to identify the institutions destroyed in the two kilometre land area affected by the tsunami - like a road, school or hospital. What has not been destroyed does not come under the purview of the Tsunami Relief Council."

The President said, "Let's say there is a school within these two kilometres not affected by tsunami, we cannot lay our hands on it. They have to be clearly identified first and the first task is to prepare plans and estimates and forward them to the Government. It is there in the document that the identification, plans and estimates have to be completed within three weeks."

Report is the same

She said, "We have started obtaining foreign assistance through TAFFREN. International financial institutions and other institutions that give us assistance did an assessment.

The World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA), Asian Development Bank also did an assessment like us. These institutions discussed with the Government. They have also held discussions with the LTTE in the LTTE held areas. Their identification report is the same as ours.

She said, only the identified projects will be implemented. Amendments only will be entertained. This is the right of any citizen in the country.

Treasury approval

The President said the Treasury will approve these projects as normally done. Approval will not be given if not suitable. They will be referred to Government institution, with the money, for the construction work to be done.

They will identify and submit to the Government. It is the Government that will do the work. It is the Government that will spend the money. They have only the second task to perform. They have to supervise whether the work is done properly.

They can report if there ara any shortcomings to the Government, the Education Department, the Highways Department etc. to effect amendments, or to point out if there is an instance of corruption or things like that. The Government will do the work and they can only supervise. They have no other responsibility or power.

Protest a big joke

She said Actually it is a big joke to protest against this. The LTTE asked for a separate state and ISGA that can lead to a separate state. So it is still a question to me as to why they have asked for so little now.

The President said, we have fought against a demon and all of a sudden the demon leaves us aside and asks us to settle the question by working together. So we must understand as to why it was done. We must analyse and see. What is the alternative we have to solve this question?

She said, today I talk to you with great responsibility. The Maha Sangha are there to protect Buddhism and to advise the Government. So I will never tell you a lie. I address today as the Head of State with honesty and great responsibility.

The President said, we have had a war that impeded the forward march of this country and the development of this country protracted for a period of 21 years.

What is solution?

She said, What is the solution to this? Is saying no to everything the solution? Should we all, men over 18 years and women who are now no different to men in war go to war making 2 years military service compulsory like in Europe in war times where it ceased only recently.

We should get ready to send to the war not only the children of poor mothers and fathers but all including my own son. You have to find honest military leaders who do not earn commissions from arms purchases. Not all but there are such people. I am speaking the truth. There is a history of purchasing unnecessary and outdated items in this country, of 20 years.

The President said, "As one who grappled with this for 11 years, I have noticed that the war was not fought to an end. If you say that we should wage war or not, advise me so. I have to decide whether it is possible or not. If so Government will have to take a decision."

Heavy loss of life

She said, "Our 23,000 of our innocent Sinhala Buddhist children have lost their lives in the war. Another 25,000 have lost their limbs making them disabled. There has been loss of life on the other side also.

We have to decide whether we should go to war or discuss and find a political solution. I see only these two alternatives. We can drag on doing neither. This will last only two years."

The President said, "Thereafter there will be bombings all over Colombo. Of course bombing will occur in the very near future. There are suicide bomb cadres everywhere in Colombo. During last two or three years these things were at a minimum. It is difficult to do this owing to opposition through the ceasefire agreement.

I am not analysing whether this is good or bad. Somehow we will have to choose between these two alternatives. If not let anything happen. If this drags on for another two years the economy will collapse. No jobs can be given. Already prices of goods are increasing. The increase will be more rapid in time. No development will be possible. Development will have to be stopped.

Funds factor

She said, we were granted a large amount of funds to rebuild tsunami devastated areas. We expected only Rs. 1500 million. But Rs. 2,200 million has been pledged. However we have not received this money yet. The various countries and organisations make this money available to us gradually.

The President said, this money is granted on two criteria. They will see whether the country can go forward or is bankrupt. If the country is bankrupt no assistance will be given. They will see whether the programmes can be implemented sans corruption and with efficiency.

They have decided that there is such a Government in this country today. They also look whether politically the Government has solutions to its problems and whether the Government has the strength to implement the programmes. If not they can refuse assistance.

She said the main problem in our country today is the ethnic problem. This political problem has brought about a war that has been there for the last 18 years. We have been able to have a temporary ceasefire during the last three years.

The President said the Government of 1993-94 prior to the inauguration of my first Government had no philosophy or programme or idea to solve the ethnic problem peacefully. The Aid Group or the World Bank did not give a red cent to Sri Lanka during that time.

She said that was a main reason for the fall of that Government. The aid pledged was not granted. The main reason for us to receive aid for 11 years was that this Government tried to solve this problem politically with dedication and honesty.

You know the efforts we made in this regard. I was scolded. But I made every endeavour to make the Tamils, the Muslims and other ethnic groups to live together with the Sinhala Buddhists.

Blown by fate

She said we were not successful in our efforts to solve the problem to the extent we expected. A solution that was not there for the last two decades has been blown to our side by fate with the tsunami. I do not say that this will bring peace.

But the journey of peace started by the last Government that has been there for last 2 1/2 years was facilitated by us to a great extent having lost eyes and ears. But the Government of Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe went forward to some extent for at least two years with some shortcomings.